This book touched my heart. I always love the Lyon books but this one was extra special. The characters were lovely and their unconventional family was beautiful!

Such a great book! I love how both of them deal with their grief, because not all of us react the same way, and I have lost someone recently... maybe I was looking for guidance somehow, now I know some things I want to do and others that I should avoid. I would love to read more from you!

Another wonderful Lyon's Den story. This one is well-written showing loss, love, pain, and sorrow The heartache will pull at your heart.
Main characters were fully developed with secondary characters adding to the story.
Lady Betty was betrayed by Harcourt twice in cruel ways.
Harcourt's ducal estate faces bankruptcy until Bessie Dove-Lyon arranges a match for him.
This is a second chance love story, and it's nice to see the main characters are older.

I enjoyed this latest addition to the Lyon's Den series by Ms Royal. Betty is a widow with a scandalous secret. When that secret is exposed, Betty is desperate to save herself from total ruination. She turns to her good friend, Mrs. Dove-Lyon for help, who secures her a titled husband without having even seen her. Harcourt is in a financial bind. He has no desire to marry for love, having been faced with heartbreak in the past. He comes to the Lyon Den and wins the hand of Betty, who is his anonymous bride. The deal is to meet at the altar, but when Betty sees the groom is the same man who ruined her reputation, she ultimately decides to make the best of the situation.
This was an enjoyable second chance romance between an older couple, which I haven't normally seen a lot, and it was a nice change of pace. Harcourt really wants to atone for his past mistakes, and he is patient with Betty as he works to gain her forgiveness and love once again. A lovely, emotional romance that won my heart! A fantastic addition to the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This book packed a lot of years of bitterness, drama, and angst in relatively few pages, and was a bit of an emotional roller coaster and I rather loved it more than I expected in the end.

Warning - If it is a trigger, there is implied off-page sexual exploitation and sexual and physical abuse several times.

The story starts in the past, when the FMC and MMC are young, and are initially in love. Harcourt Martingale was a marquis, heir to a dukedom at the time, and in passionate love with the daughter of a merchant, Eliza. But he is quite aware of the difference in their social standing, and while he is willing to sleep with her, and make her his mistress, he knows he is expected to marry a bride from his own ranks. He breaks Eliza's heart when he offers protection as his mistress rather than marriage. She in turn rejects his offer, and their lives go down separate paths since.

Harcourt loses track of Eliza for many years, especially after she and her mother disappear after her father loses their fortune, and dies. He marries his Society bride in a less than satisfactory marriage of convenience, and gets his heir and spare and becomes a widower. Eliza re-emerges in his life a couple of decades later, as Lady Betty Grey, the vivacious and popular wealthy widow with an inherited fortune, but hiding a lot of ruinous secrets about her past, not the least of which was being ruined by Harcourt. Harcourt has a lot of anger and bitterness, and he knows some of her secrets and spews them out in a drunken rant publicly, putting Eliza/Betty's reputation at great risk, forcing her to seek some kind of protection through a titled marriage, arranged through the infamous Mrs. Dove-Lyon - who is famed for her marriages, manipulations, and her knowledge of people.

Mrs. Dove Lyon manipulates things so Eliza, the wealthy, financially savvy widow, and Harcourt, now a duke with an impoverished estate are matched and forced to wed. Eliza, with good reason, doesn't trust men, especially Harcourt, and seeks to protect her secrets and heart, but is willing to participate in the marriage to make the best of things. Harcourt, as he and his sons spend time with Eliza, is forced to face the fact that he done did the woman wrong, that he still loves her, and is forced to realize his own faults and prejudices that have made live miserable for him over the years. Eliza is what he and his family needs, and as he unravels her secrets, learning and appreciating the hardships she faced, he works to very hard to redeem himself and earn her love, wearing down the walls she has built over the years.

Eliza's story after she and Harcourt first broke off things is a heartbreaking downward spiral as she loses her family, social standing, finances, and is forced into prostitution, exploited by a horrible abusive man. Harcourt unravels her secrets, but unlike before, when bitterness drove him to reveal and exploit one of them to ruin her publicly, he now seeks redemption and to help her overcome some of her past and losses.

Again, I wanted to hate Harcourt for his arrogant and dismissive behaviour initially as a young man, and again when he ruins Eliza again, decades later. He comes across initially as pompous, arrogant, overbearing, and dictatorial... but there is a lot of sense of loss, bitterness, and regret that later comes across, and the desire to be a better man and earn the love he threw away before. He works hard in the end to give Eliza the love she deserved, and the family she lost, and there was redemption for Harcourt in the end.

I love the fact that this was a more mature couple, and there was the different social strata theme as well. Face paced, and despite their fraught emotional past, Harcourt and Eliza/Betty had some good steamy scenes. Some things were a bit unbelievable for me- such as how quickly Eliza forgave him, and how sexually open she was considering her past (but I am more than willing to give that Eliza came to own her sexuality as she matured and not let that part of the past own her).

4.5 stars out of 5

Good second chance romance. Betty has had a difficult life, from giving her heart to a man who didn't deserve it to the things she had to do to survive to the hard-won happiness she currently enjoys. Then, the man who broke her heart exposes a secret from her past, and she is left scrambling to save her reputation. Her friend Mrs. Dove-Lyons offers to find her the titled husband she needs, who will accept her conditions.

Harcourt is flat broke, with twin sons to raise and an estate to care for. Reluctantly, he goes to the Lyon's Den to acquire the wealthy wife he doesn't want but desperately needs.

He and Betty are stunned to realize that Mrs. Dove-Lyons has matched them despite their history. Harcourt is the man who took her innocence but refused to marry her because his father would disapprove. Instead, he married as he was told and had a short but unhappy marriage, leaving him with two sons to raise.

For better or worse, he and Betty are married. Both are surprised that their attraction still lives after all these years. As they begin their life together, Harcourt discovers he wants to earn her forgiveness and heart. Betty is wary of trusting him again, and it takes patience on his part to get past her walls. I liked seeing Betty connect with his sons, and it was amusing to see Harcourt's envy. I liked Harcourt's patience and determination to earn her trust. When he learns of another piece of her tragic past, he goes to great lengths to make it right for her. He won my heart with his actions and desire to make her happy.

I liked Harcourt's sons and how easily they connected with Betty. It was fun to see their interactions and how protective of her they became.

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

A really good lighthearted read from Emily.
I’ve loved lots of her books before so was eager to read this one.

Great characters and an entertaining and interesting storyline. Set in the world of The Lyon’s Den Hell and arraigned marriages for winning a game of Chance.

A great one for and afternoon by the fireside.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

Later in Life, Second Chance, Historical Romance

He betrayed her and broke her heart. He did not think her good enough to marry an heir to a dukedom. How much would he come to regret his words? Harcourt and Betty go full circle. They were once young and in love. He broke her heart, and she broke his. However, once he left her, her life, along with her heart, shattered into a thousand pieces. What would it take to put them back together?

Betty asked Mrs. Dove-Lyon to help her to secure a match to avoid a scandal the man she once loved created. The man she loved and hated, all at once, turned out to be the bridegroom. Harcourt would have much for which to atone. Could he do it?

This story is sure to break your heart before it puts it back together. I found myself glued to the pages. To say I enjoyed the story might be the wrong phrasing since I shed quite a few tears. However, I can say that I loved reading it. It is a story about heartache, redemption, love, forgiveness, and second chances. If you like historical romance that will break your heart before it mends it, you will want to pick up this book along with a box of tissues. I look forward to reading what this author writes next. Her books keep getting better with each story.

The widow Mrs Dove-Lyon strikes gold once more. This time it is with a slightly more mature couple who knew each other as young adults. Now in their fifties, they come together again through a deal struck with Mrs Dove-Lyon.

Harcourt Martingale, the fifth Duke of Pittchester, has fallen on tough times; he has insufficient funds to see to the running of his estates, let alone sending his twins to Oxford for their further education. He is a desperate man willing to negotiate his title in exchange for a wealthy woman.

Elizabeth, after being "outed" by Harcourt for not legally marrying her last lover, must marry urgently before the ton comes to know her little secret.

Wonderfully written and beautifully told with lots of supporting players. I enjoyed it immensely and hope you will decide to read it too. You will not be disappointed!

I received a copy of this romance as an ARC through NetGalley and the author and this is my honest and voluntary review

After being publicly humiliated by the same man twice, Lady Betty Grey turns to Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon for help in arranging a marriage of convenience to a title. Harcourt Martingale, Fifth Duke of Pittchester, is in financial distress. A friend convinces him to take a chance at the Lyon’s Den. He does, agrees to the conditions of the marriage contract, wins the game, and awaits his bride at the altar. The scene at the altar when these two realize what they have done is hilarious. It so happens that the groom, Harcourt, is the man who has twice publicly ruined his bride, Lady Betty (known to him as Eliza). This match just might be exciting. To add to his frustration, when Harcourt arrives home and introduces his incorrigible twins, they, as well as his staff, quickly come to respect and love his new wife. Lyon of the Ton is a steamy second-chance romance with an older couple. It is a very emotional story filled with regret and redemption. There are warm and humorous moments as well. Harcourt realizes he has been a fool and determines to woo and love Betty the way he should have. His actions have caused sadness and trauma for them both. Betty is a woman of strength and determination. She has secrets, and as Harcourt discovers them, he sets of to make things right. A passionate story with characters who touch your heart and a very happy ending.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

It's another Lyon's Den marriage match Mrs. Dove-Lyon the owner of the most notorious gambling den in London is making. Harcourt needs a marriage with someone wealthy and Betty needs a groom with a title. Emily Royal has written a story about second chance romance involving an older couple who have to overcome emotional scars from their past, sizzling passion, a story with a great cast of characters, that is well-written, strong plot and great dialogue bring this read together perfectly.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Lyon of the Ton by Emily Royal was a little different than most Lyon’s Den stories in that both people involved were older, fiftyish. They had known one another when they were younger. In fact, they had been in love until Harcourt Martingale took her virginity and revealed that, although he loved her, he could not marry her, but instead would set her up in a house and visit her regularly. She knew her family were not aristocrats but she had trusted him. As the years went by he married, someone he didn’t love, and she bore him twin sons, and died in the process. Things went to much worse for Eliza who found herself made into the whore she felt herself to be and possessed and abused by one man, with whom she had a child: Clara. He used Clara to control her until she couldn’t stand it and ran. He took Clara and instructed his right-hand-man to get rid of her. Eliza, now known as Betty, lived in this hell until an older man, Maddock Grey, rescued her and they lived together as man and wife. Sadly he had a wife already that no one knew about. Harcourt felt the need to reveal this, years after Maddock’s death, at a society function. Now, Betty needed a husband with a title to mitigate the scandal this revelation had caused.

Harcourt was a good man who had been very young when he chose to worry about what his father would say rather than following his heart. Eliza had fallen onto hard times, but had made the best of what she had and dreamed of when things had been better. Maddock left her very rich. Mrs. Dove-Lyon knew all of this when she arranged the match. The participants were secret and the marriage had to be consummated within the hour. Would this match work out as well as most of hers had? It was complicated by Harcourt’s two sons, who could be exceptionally difficult when they chose. For whatever reason they fell immediately in love with Betty (Eliza) and resented whatever their father had done to hurt her. It was a pretty wonderful story, mostly. Sometimes, it is hard that the story must end and so everyone has to change whatever is wrong in their lives for the finale. I felt like this happened here, but it was worth it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Lyon of the Ton by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #EmilyRoyal #LyonOfTheTon

This novel takes one on an emotional ride as Lady Betty Grey faces down her tormentor and turns to Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon to arrange a marriage of convenience. However, it is not at all convenient when she meets her betrothed at the altar. Harcourt, Fifth Duke of Pittchester, regrets his rash words, borne out of his own bitterness, and when he discovers that a game of chance has brought about a marriage to the one woman who despises him most, he finds himself eating his words. Betty's instant connection with his twin sons surprises him, but when he sees that she quickly earns the respect of his staff and is taking over the management of his finances, he is even more ashamed of his lack of fiscal management and his past mistakes. Harcourt sets out to woo Betty even as he once did, and in the process starts to understand just how much rejection, abuse, and horror has been inflicted on her. In his attempt to bring the healing that she so desperately needs, Harcourt opens up a can of worms and initially, it would seem that he has made an even graver mistake. However, with the timely intervention of his teenage twins, the new family manages to calm the troubled waters. The novel is sad and emotional, but unfortunately, the trials faced by Betty are as prevalent today as they were then, where young women are ill-treated and terrorized by those stronger than them. Ultimately, this romance does come to a good conclusion and the Lyon's Den once again scores a win. I received a copy of this emotional romance as a gift from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

She wants a respectable name, and he needs stability. But their history may not be the best thing to start a marriage on.
I REALLY enjoyed the dynamics in the second chance romance. The too important man, his sons and then the surprises that come along!! Excellent storytelling and working characters through.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.

A tangled web.

Harcourt, ruined Eliza when she was a young debutante, and then tried to set her up as his mistress. He turned her into what she had to become to survive when he refused to marry her. Thirty years later, Eliza is Lady Betty Grey, wealthy but about to be socially ruined bu Harcourt, AGAIN! He announced a fact about her publicly. But now Harcourt is poor, 58 and about to wed sight unseen and to immediately bed this unknown woman. I had a hard time with Harcourt. He casually ruined Eliza, kept calling her a W, when he was the one who turned her into one. I also didn't like that he shook her and held a thirty year grudge and never owned up that it was he who sent her on her very hard and difficult path. Betty did what she had to do. She's smart and has survived much. At least Harcourt did some redemption with Clara.

I did like the premise, its outrageous and bonkers and I adored that this was a much older couple with children. Actually, Harcourts boys are great. Better than he ever was.

4.5 Stars
Another page turner of a romance. The story starts when Harcourt & Eliza are young & in love but when Eliza expects a wedding proposal Harcourt offers to make her his mistress. She reeks her revenge shortly afterwards & they only meet again three decades later when he’s a duke & she's a widow but his hurtful words threaten to ruin her. She needs to marry, her old friend Mrs. Dove-Lyon offers, for a price, to secure Betty a titled husband willing to marry her sight unseen—then consummate the union within an hour of the ceremony to seal the deal. Harcourt Martingale, fifth Duke of Pittchester, faces bankruptcy. He enters the Lyon’s Den, where titled men sell themselves for a dowry. Harcourt enters a simple game of chance, and wins an anonymous bride.
I must admit I didn’t like Harcourt to begin with & Betty went down in my estimation for the way she got her revenge. However I grew to love them both as they embarked on their marriage. Betty has lots of secrets, which gradually emerge & my heart bled for all she’d suffered. I loved the twins who very quickly came to love Mama Betty & were definitely in her court. Harcourt gradually put the past behind him & became the man he should always have been. I loved the chemistry between the couple & they became stronger together especially when all of Betty’s secrets were revealed
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I love Emily Royal and I've read several of the Lyon's Den books. As much as I enjoy reading about the exploits of Mrs. Dove-Lyon, I don't necessarily expect the series to be showcasing an author's finest work. My goodness was I wrong! I think that this might be the best book that this author has ever written. I finished reading a few hours ago but I'm still feeling weepy.
After reading the first chapter, I was sad that the young couple had parted ways. When I started the 2nd chapter, I was greatly relieved. I had forgotten that I was reading a Lyon's Den book! The presence of Mrs. Dove-Lyon reassured me that everything would work out--eventually.
Harcourt and Eliza were reluctantly united in marriage, 30 years after their first heartbreak. Their new beginning was rough and very emotional, with no shortage of steam. Then, once they were able to trust one another again, a scandalous secret from the past resurfaced, giving the couple an unexpectedly difficult challenge.
This was such a beautiful story. It showed forgiveness, redemption and unconditional love in the face of so much tragedy and loss. It was also very refreshing to see the couple forming their own blended family. And they had a pug too.
I highly recommend this book. Just make sure that you have plenty of tissues on hand. I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

A story so very different from all the rest. I love all the Lyon stories, however I think this is the best one ever. A different, heart wrenching story of second changes. Eliza is fierce, loving and a woman with a past. Harcourt a selfish, arrogant and entitled duke with the moral code of a slug, yet he claims to love Eliza. Thirty years pass as the two reunite but it is not smooth sailing for either of them. Finding a backbone takes Harcourt awhile but in the end I finally have to give him some credit. A beautiful story amazingly crafted and one you won't put down.

A tale about how one’s upbringing affects one’s choices with devastating consequences. One that specially affects the woman, whose strength and resilience over the harrowing experience of being separated from her loved ones twice over, still retains her ability to love. It is also the story of the man who seeks to atone for his past mistake and works to make her world whole. Lovely secondary characters like the twins and a daughter showcase the healing power love brings. Wonderfully moving read.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

Harcourt Martingale, 5th Duke of Pittchester, has a lot to answer for when he exposed Lady Betty Gray's past. Now he must pay the piper. In need of money, he's caught in Mrs. Dove-Lyon's game of chance for a wife. Betty needs the protection of a husband with a title and puts her future in the hands of Bessie Dove-Lyon. The lovers from thirty years ago are reunited, but it's not exactly a happy reunion until all their secrets are revealed.
Thumbs up for an older couple who can have just as much romance and sex as the younger.
VERY HOT!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.